EXCLUSIVE: The Jim Henson Company is not selling its historic La Brea Avenue located studio lot to the Church of Scientology.
Despite reports in the Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post and other outlets that the Henson family was unloading the 1917 lot originally known as the Charlie Chaplin Studios, the estate was very specific today that the lot would not be joining Scientology‘s extensive real estate portfolio any time soon
A spokesperson for the Jim Henson family said: “In regards to recent rumors about the sale of the La Brea studio lot, the Henson family is not in any business dealings with the Church of Scientology, and that organization is not in consideration as a potential buyer of the property. It is still the family’s intention to move The Jim Henson Company to a new location it can share with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, but at this time the family is not in escrow with any buyer.”
In 1999, the Henson family bought the studio for a reported $12.5 million, serving as the HQ for The Jim Henson Company. While declared a Historic-Cultural Monument by the City of Angels in 1969,, the former Chaplin property is in no way owned by Disney. The Bob Iger-led conglom only owns The Muppets franchise. Certainly that Mouse House confusion is pretty straightforward as the Jim Henson studio lot is distinguished by its gates just south of Sunset Blvd which feature a statue of Kermit the Frog, dressed as Chaplin’s character The Tramp, in a nod to the lot’s roots.
The Church had no comment on the rumors swirling around the Henson lot matter, when contacted by Deadline. However, it seems that Scientology has not made and is not intending to make any moves in regards to the Henson property, a well placed Church source tells us. As far as they know, the Henson Company has never been approached by the Church or any of its representatives or lawyers in regards to the La Brea property, we hear.
Scientology has been in the Tinseltown news again of late, mainly due to the rape trial of its now incarcerated Church member Danny Masterson as well as the organization’s ongoing dispute with former high profile member Leah Remini.
Also well known for Tom Cruise being a prominent member, the L. Ron Hubbard formed Church has numerous real estate holdings in Los Angeles as well as elsewhere around the country and the world. Among the many properties the Church own in LA include the massive ex-Cedars of Lebanon Hospital at 4833 Founatain Ave, that they bought in 1976. In 2011, the David Miscavige-run Church purchased the KCET Studios in Los Feliz to become their media center. As well as almost half a dozen former hotels and other properties on Hollywood Blvd, and elsewhere in LA, the Church has the 1929-built Château Élysée on Franklin Ave, now known as their Celebrity Center, which they bought in 1973. The organizations also owns various properties around the world and the nation, including 68 parcels of land in their main HQ of Clearwater, Fl.
For obvious reasons, those holdings in no small part gave oxygen to any rumors of the Church buying teh Henson lot. Yet, as Kermit the Frog once said: “You know what’s important isn’t this building or name, it’s each other.”
